The 'Preludi per pianoforte', four volumes of twelve pieces each, were written by the Venetian composer Renato de Grandis when he resumed composing after a break. He had decided, in 1987, shortly after his 60th birthday, to stop writing and to move back to Italy for the first time in 30 years. At that point he ranked among the major composers in Europe's avant-garde music scene. During his retreat de Grandis dedicated himself to his philosophical interests: he wrote both prose and poetry, painted, taught and travelled whilst also immersing himself in Buddhism, the Kabbalah and theosophy.
His withdrawal from composing lasted only a few years, however, and it appears travelling led him back to music. In the Introduction to the 'Preludi per pianoforte' he wrote: “The characters of the preludes have to do with a great multiplicity of situations, moods, direct experiences, and encounters, which come from a life full of travelling far and wide, a life of uninterrupted learning, research, and discovery, sometimes concerning subjects which are unknown to most people.” Considered as a whole, but also in view of his life’s work, the 'Preludes' demonstrate almost the entire spectrum of de Grandis' musical thought, in spite of their often miniature-like nature.
